Ballon d'Or debate: BBC pundits split between Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Ahead of Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony in London, BBC Sport pundits disagree on whether Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia deserves the award, with bookmakers placing Yamal and Kane as close favourites.
The Ballon d'Or winner will be revealed in London on 26 October, and BBC Sport's football experts are divided over who should claim the award. Bookmakers have Spain winger Lamine Yamal and England captain Harry Kane closely matched as clear favourites, with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe named as other probable candidates in the article.
Yamal's case rests on winning La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain. Guillem Balague argued that a PSG or Spanish player must win, and that Yamal is the sole Spaniard who deserves it, citing individual performances, collective trophies and his aura. Stephen Warnock also expects Yamal to prevail because of the World Cup, while Rory Smith predicted the same outcome on the basis that the prize usually goes to a winner of the biggest trophy, though he questioned whether Yamal was Spain's most important player.
Several pundits instead championed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Julien Laurens called him Europe's best player last season, pointing to his Champions League impact for PSG, including scoring in both semi-finals and earlier knockout rounds and earning a penalty in the final. Laurens and Smith both argued that a player should not be penalised for representing a country outside World Cup contention, with Georgia's absence cited as a likely obstacle to Kvaratskhelia gathering votes.
Kane's supporters focused on his output. Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy said his numbers for Bayern Munich and England over the past 12 to 18 months made him the deserving winner, with Murphy calling him the best centre-forward in the world over the past year. Andros Townsend noted 73 goals in 65 games, a league and cup double and a World Cup semi-final, while Ellen White backed Kane with her heart despite acknowledging Yamal's World Cup success.
Norwegian journalist Lars Sivertsen also favoured Kane, praising his leadership and conduct at Bayern, but wondered whether his low-key character could work against him in what he described as a popularity contest. The comments reflect a broader split between rewarding a World Cup winner and recognising sustained club-season excellence.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
